Manufacturing the Sound of Silence
From rock stars to scientists, one local Redmond manufacturing company has created a unique niche in vocal booths and sound proof rooms. REDI recently caught up with Calvin Mann, President and CEO of VocalBooth for an inside look into his company.
Where did VocalBooth get its start?
With a background in theater, Calvin needed a sound booth in his rental apartment that could be taken apart so his landlord would be happy. The second one he made was designed for production in manufacturing. He saw a niche beginning to form for portable sound rooms and posted an ad on his website. His first client was in New Jersey and not knowing anything about logistics, he packed up a U-haul trailer and delivered it in person.
How does one hear about VocalBooth? Mainly word of mouth, and through online influencers like this one from the Crosby’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHBtUi9C5fQ
How do you create company culture and still measure success?
The answer, currently the VocalBooth ship is sailing fluidly. Hopefully with more development with a new project, an expansion may be in the future, but for now things are going very well with the current space.
VocalBooth has thirteen employees and finds the team is running very well. There is very little turnover given the how Calvin prizes the work-life balance philosophy of the company. “I believe a healthy and innovative company environment and culture is key to any successful company,” he says. “Everyone is self-starting and treated like adults. Higher productivity comes from employees who are happy at work, not from extreme oversite and productivity policing.
The company measures its success not on the amount of calls received per day or orders received, but how many square feet they manufacture per year which equates to about one sound booth per day.
The interesting thing about VocalBooth’s client base is that it’s not-so-niche after all. Many people think that his niche is mainly musicians, performers or sound engineers. But besides homes, among the many organizations you’d find using a VocalBooth include: hospitals, law enforcement, office buildings, and universities.
COVID Impact on manufacturing?
For VocalBooth, people began working from home. Business increased but found logistics difficult. Karl Stechta, floor manager in manufacturing told us the impact of COVID had with more of their clients under shelter in place at home. Due to this, he had to reconfigure the company’s shipping carts to make home delivery easier for their clients.
For VocalBooth, manufacturing the sound of silence is …well, booming! For more information visit: vocalbooth.com.
